Pendulum Experiments - Physics Demonstrations - Pendulum Experiments | Physics Undergraduate Labs

Purpose

A do-it-yourself pendulum kit for investigating period dependence on length ( $T \propto \sqrt{L}$ ), independence from mass, and the small-angle approximation. Assemble pendulums to match clicker questions or run in-class experiments.

Ring stand with horizontal rod supporting multiple pendulums of different lengths and bob types (cork cylinder, golf ball, plumb bob, green ball) on white and red strings

Five pendulum bobs: large cork cylinder, black rubber stopper, aluminum disk with center hole, shiny metal sphere with cork stopper, and small brass pear-shaped weight

Three string materials on a gray surface: large bundle of thick white cotton yarn, ball of medium cotton twine, and spool of thin white sewing thread

Figure 1: Pendulum kit assembled on a ring stand with various bobs at different string lengths. Pre-strung bobs and loose strings are both included.

Figure 2: Assortment of pendulum bobs with widely varying masses, from light cork to heavy metal. Use identical string lengths with different bobs to demonstrate mass independence of period.

Figure 3: String materials included in the kit: thick yarn, medium twine, and fine thread. Use scissors to cut custom lengths from the stringless supplies.